There are many pathways to addiction recovery. One pathway can be Medication-Assisted Recovery—the use of medication, as prescribed and overseen by a physician knowledgeable about addiction care, to support recovery from a substance use disorder. The purpose of NCADD's Consumer Guide to Medication-Assisted Recovery is to educate the "consumer"—anyone considering medications to aid their own addiction recovery or that of a family member, and anyone who has reservations or questions about this option. A well-informed person can make wise decisions about their recovery.

We know that people who suffer from the disease of addiction generally need each other to recover. Ironically and tragically, the one place individuals in Medication-Assisted Recovery might expect to find support, tolerance and empathy—within the addiction treatment and the recovery communities—is where they are all too often viewed as not being abstinent, criticized, and denied their legitimate status as a person in recovery. This Guide is designed to dispel some of the myths, misconceptions, misinformation and the stigma that surround this often lifesaving pathway to recovery.

Some wrongly view the use of a medication to abstain from a drug as "just substituting one drug for another." However, decades of research and treatment experience show that it is not. To understand why and how these medications work, please keep reading.

NCADD's Consumer Guide to Medication-Assisted Recovery offers general information about leading medications used in the treatment of addiction. We do not support or reject any particular medication. You must consult with your doctor or other treatment provider to find out if a particular medication could help you.

NCADD is grateful to our Affiliate, The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania (formerly the Bucks County Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence) in Greater Philadelphia, PA and its program, PRO-ACT, for creating the original Consumer's Guide, which was edited and updated by the Medical/Scientific Committee of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc.

To access the NCADD Consumer Guide to Medication-Assisted Recovery (in its entirety), please click here.